Republished in The American Universal Magazine, March 20, 1797, available on Internet Archive.
REPUBLICANS,
Proud of having led you to conquest on various occasions, I have obtained from the government the permission to conduct you to new successes. To command you, is to be sure of victory.
Jealous of giving liberty to a people worthy of it, and ripe for a revolution, the directory send us to Ireland, in order to facilitate the revolution, which excellent republicans have just undertaken there. It will be a proud thing for us, who have conquered the satellites of kings, armed against the republic, to break the fetters of a friendly nation, and to assist them in recovering the rights usurped by the odious English government.
You will never forget, brave and faithful companions, that the people to whom we are going, are the friends of your country, and that we ought to treat them as such, and not as a conquered country.
On arriving in Ireland, you will find hospitality and fraternity; soon will thousands of her inhabitants swell our phalanxes. Let us take care never to treat any of them as enemies. They, as well as ourselves, have to revenge themselves upon the perfidious English; the latter are the only persons upon whom we have to inflict a signal vengeance. Believe that Irishmen do not sigh less than you after the moment in which we shall go in concert to London, to recall to the recollection of Pitt and his minions, what they have done against our liberty.
From friendship, from duty, and from honour for the French name, you will respect the persons and property of the country where we are going.
If, by constant efforts, I provide for your wants, believe that, jealous of preserving the reputation of the army which I have the honour to command, I shall punish severely whoever shall depart from what he owes to his country. Laurels and glory shall be the lot of the republican soldier; death shall be the price of violation and pillage. You know me enough to believe, that for the first time, I will not forfeit my word; I have given you warning and recollect it.
(Signed) GENERAL L. HOCHE.